ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday reiterated his reservations regarding the federal budget during a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, indicating that he would not participate in the ongoing budget debate in the National Assembly until the government addressed all concerns raised by his party.
According to a source close to the PPP chairman, Bilawal had decided not to deliver his budget speech unless the government fulfilled all commitments made to the PPP during consultations on the budget.
The meeting, held at Parliament House, was attended by several senior PPP leaders, including Sherry Rehman, Naveed Qamar, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Ijaz Jakhrani.
Sources said Bilawal appeared dissatisfied with the budget, arguing that the document presented in the National Assembly differed from the one previously discussed with the PPP leadership. According to the source, the government had shared one version with the party but presented a different budget before parliament.
The source further revealed that another round of discussions between Bilawal and Dar was expected in the coming days in an effort to resolve outstanding issues.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Bilawal expressed optimism that the party’s reservations would eventually be addressed. He said discussions with Dar had once again focused on the concerns raised by the PPP and voiced hope that a solution would be reached.
Responding to a question regarding government formation in Gilgit-Baltistan following the recent elections, Bilawal said he was confident that the PPP would succeed in forming the next government in the region.
Several rounds of talks have already taken place in recent weeks between the PPP leadership and the deputy prime minister over budget-related matters. Sources indicated that the latest meeting suggested either the government had not incorporated the party’s proposals into the budget or that several key concerns remained unresolved.
The discussions also focused on expenditure priorities, development allocations under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), and broader economic matters, including fiscal sustainability, public welfare, development initiatives and inclusive economic growth.
According to reports, the International Monetary Fund has asked the federal government to introduce additional revenue measures worth approximately Rs430 billion in the upcoming budget, while provinces are also expected to generate a similar amount through their own revenue efforts.
During the meeting, PPP leaders reportedly asked Dar to explain how provincial governments could increase tax collection without imposing additional burdens on citizens. Party representatives opposed the introduction of new taxes and argued that the government should adopt policies aimed at providing relief to people already struggling with inflation.
Another source said the PPP delegation emphasised that the government should focus on broadening the tax base instead of repeatedly placing pressure on the same segments of taxpayers, arguing that a wider tax net would be a fairer and more sustainable approach to revenue generation.